There's No Place Like Home

Home at last! It is so great to be home and reunited with the kids. The picture is them on the beach in Gulfport, Mississippi where we recently attended the wedding of our dear friend, Lulu. Our trip to Rome and Milan was blessed in so many different ways. Though I can’t take time to write about them all, I’d like to highlight a couple of memorable moments.

When after two days our luggage still hadn’t arrived, we knew we had to break down and buy a few necessities. Rome is VERY expensive and the strength weakness of the dollar doesn’t help much. Believe it or not a simple pair of underwear, though quite pretty, cannot be found for less than $15. I couldn’t find a pair of pajamas for less than $55. I’m not kidding! The frugal side of me was having a VERY hard time giving in to such prices even though the need was rather great. (The hospitals there don’t give you a gown upon admittance like they do here.)

After walking into three different shops only to head back out empty handed, I walked back out on the sidewalk in frustration and final realized I hadn’t called on the One who never sleeps or slumbers. In those moments I quietly prayed aloud, “Jesus, you know our needs and You promised to supply them all.” Not thirty seconds later we happened upon a little shop owned by Asians. Through sign language she brought me a large garbage bag of what appeared to be underwear from a market in Hong Kong—with a price tag of 1 euro each! (About $1.40 or so). She then directed me to a basement rack of pajamas on clearance for 4 euros. God so totally provided for us! With such provision we were then able to continue washing our clothes each night in the bathroom sink with a bar of soap. Though I don’t intend to take up backpacking anytime soon, I found it somewhat refreshing to rough it a little bit. Our luggage finally did arrive on day 3.

Another memorable moment was on the plane from Rome to Newark. Though I was bandaged up around the surgery site (with the drain still in), I realized I was bleeding rather heavily around the drain. Just before landing David asked one of the flight attendants if there was a clinic in the airport where I could be checked and re-bandaged. At that moment Continental Airlines (we actually usually fly American) went from being just ‘a regular ol’ airline’ status to ‘the best airline ever’! (I’m even going to write a thank you letter to their head chief!) First a couple of ladies came and talked with me and generally accessed the situation. They then paged the passengers and asked if there was a doctor onboard—of course there was with such a large flight. The one who then attended me was an actual radiologist of oncology. What’s the chances? He was very familiar with patients such as myself.

He felt certain it was simply the high altitude. I felt no dizziness and my pulse was strong. Another flight attendant trained in first aid took me into one of the larger bathrooms and redid my bandages.

As we were leaving the plane many people around us (kind of became a momentary celeb with all the fuss) asked David if there was anything they could do to help us. Many (I’m not exaggerating and remember this was not East Texas) said they would be praying for us. The pilot even asked the Lord to bless us. My goodness, I kid you not, it felt like we were leaving a church service rather than a plane on the east coast! Such kindness from complete strangers can be overwhelming refreshing. It’s a moment I will remember for a very long time.

Though we didn’t ask for it, Continental provided a wheelchair when we disembarked and a very nice man from India zipped us through to the front of many long lines for customs, baggage, security, etc. making international re-entry feel like a walk in the park.

My body is healing from the surgery and I’m continuing with the sodium bicarbonate infusions which are quite painful. Mostly I’m staying in or near my bed and letting David and Ashley function as my round the clock slaves nurses. : )

Thank again for all of your prayers. There are many times throughout the day when I have moments where I can literally feel love, encouragement, hope and joy flood all over me—I know the source! Thank you.